Certain types of convection ovens may provide a flow of heated air to surround a food product to be cooked in addition to providing radiant heating to cook the food product. A blower wheel within the internal housing of the oven that is rotatable during operation of the oven may be used to urge the forced convection air flow.
Blower wheels that are provided in convection ovens are normally rotated by torque produced in an output shaft of a motor. When mounting the blower wheel to the output shaft, structure is required to prevent the motor shaft from rotating with respect to the blower wheel. One technique is to provide a spline on the motor shaft with a corresponding recess in the internal central hole of the blower wheel to prevent this relative rotation. Apertures are typically provided in each of the motor shaft and the blower wheel to receive one or more set screws.
Convection ovens are often used the commercial food service industry. Many geographic regions have laws and/or regulations that require commercial food service entities to maintain some baseline level of cleanliness within the equipment that is used to prepare and cook food that is sold to consumers. These regulations often include the requirement to pass periodic and surprise on-site inspections from government officials. Accordingly, there is a need for the establishments in the commercial food service industry to maintain a program to ensure that their equipment used to prepare and cook food is adequately clean and sanitary, to comply with government regulations and customer understanding that cleanliness and sanitation is an important aspect of their operations.
Blower wheels must often be removed from the motor shaft to repair or replace the blower wheel or other associated components of the convection oven or to provide space for cleaning the internal volume of the oven. It is difficult and time consuming to remove conventional blower wheels from a motor shaft, often requiring a relatively complex procedure and specialized tools for removal, alignment, and replacement of the blower wheel. Accordingly, it is desired to provide removable blower wheel for a convection oven that is relatively easy to remove, replace, and align, such that the commercial food service personnel can successfully and efficiently perform these tasks.